Automatic interlocking train-pipe coupling.



J. V. ROBINSON. AUTOMATIC INTERLOCKING TRAIN PIPE COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1911. RENEWED MAY 1.1911.

Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET I.

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J. V. ROBINSON.

AUTOMATIC INTERLOCKING TRAIN PIPE COUPLING. APPLICATION man JULY 7, 1911. RENEWED MAY 1,1911.

1 ,245,77%. Patented Nov. 6,1917.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Suva/144301,

J. V. ROBINSON.

AUTOMATIC INTERLOCKING TRAIN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I, 1911. RENEWED HAY I, 1917- Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

4 SHEETS -SHEET 3- w 2 v \t 6 2 2M) m mm I .0 Z d M A @Q a a a 4M, 73 7 @M/ .4 2 2 J. V. ROBINSON.

AUTOMATIC INTERLOCKING TRAiN PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 1, 1-911. RENEWED MAY 1, 1917.

1,245774. Patented Nov. 6, 1917.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

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Specification of mutt Eatent.

Application at July 7, 191;, serial meanest. Renewed may 1, 191?. Serial no. nearer.

- useful Improvement in Automatic Enterbars.

looking Train Pipe Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for automatically coupling the air and steam pipes of railwa cars simultaneously with the operation o the draw bar couplers.

An object of the invention is to produce an improved train pipe coupler constructed to relieve its supporting member from the tension of the main spring when the cars are coupled, independent of the position of the draw bar in all conditions of service.

Another object is to produce an improved train pipe coupler provided with an abutment for the main spring constructed to move or shift from its normal position when the cars cou 1e.

Another 0 ject is to proyidemeans which will maintain coupled train pipe heads un' der a constant pressure during all conditions of service. 1

Another object is to provide means whereby the coupling heads may be separated-and one or both thereof removed'and replaced without disturbing the coupling at the draw The foregoing and other objects are carried out in a preferred manner by the mechanism hereinafter described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which similar parts are referred to by like reference characters, and in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of one form of the. invention showing the parts in the normal uncoupled position; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the ban er; Fi s. 3, .4, and 5 are like views respect vely 0 the spider, the abutment, and the collar, described below; Figs. 6,-7, and 8 are diagrammatic representations of the relative longitudinal positions of the several partswhen normally uncoupled, at maximum compression, and running, respectively, taken substantially on the line errr of Fig. 4 Figs. 9 and 10 are views in difierent positions of a modified form of the device, and Fig. 11 indicates a form of spanner that maybe employed therewith.

10 indicates anysuitable form of draw bar. A bracket 11 s shown earned by the draw tary member.

nected to the bracket comprises a relatively stationary member 14: clamped to the bracket,

and also includes a movable member 15 slidable rearwardly with respect to the member Patented Nov. 6, 191'? port through which the coupling head is con- 14. Means are provided to temporarily lock the movable supporting member to the member 14, which position is assumed in the normal uncoupled position and is so maintained until thecars are coupled and the tension spring 25 's placed under considerable pressure. Sa1 locking means is indicated as a trigger 1 6 pivoted to one of the hanger members at 17 and having a lug 18 engageable over a shoulder'19 of the other member, whereby the two parts of the hen er, during the coupling operation, are in e ect a uni- The central conduit 20 of the head extends rearwardly throu h the support in which it has universal osci atory movement through a ball 21, limited, however, bythe flaring openings 22 and 23 against the walls: of

which the conduit20 may impinge. A col-- lar 24 is connected to the ball 21, by means zontal position and to secure the proper degree of tension between the mating heads when coupled. Said spring is anchored at one end to the head at 26 and at its other end, as at 25, to a plate or shiftable abut ment 27, which surrounds the conduit 20 adjacent the collar 24. The forward movement of the coupling headunder the expansive force of the spring is limited by means of a spider or plate 284connected to the condult and adapted to bear normally in the uncoupled position against the rear face of ice the support, wherebythrough the spring the axis of the coupling head is maintained in proper couplingposition. When the spring no is put under compression during the coupling Opera-tee the its t e s wers s engage the shoulders 13.

. borne by the hanger through the abutment with respect to the hanger.

Each abutment 27 is provided with one or more dogs 29, each pivoted in an extension 30, the extensions being arranged preferably diagonally opposite each other so as to cause the dogs to engage the guides 13 of the opposing head. This engagement may be accomplished in .any sultable manner, but as indicated each dog is arranged to project through a hole 13 of the ad acent guide and snap outwardly overa shoulder 13 by virtue of a contractile spring 31. An antlfriction roller 13 may be used if desired on said shoulder. The dogs being pivotedat 32 to the plates 27 of both heads, and interlocking with the guides 13, the two heads, the two abutments, the interposed sprmgs 25, and thedogs become practically a unitary rigid structure when coupled, the dogs maintaining a constant degree of pressure on the conduit joints, and being engaged with the, respective guides at points comparatively far from the faces of the heads will 'efi'ect a rigid connection which Wlll. not open on a curve or under any other normal operative conditions.

In order to free the support 15 and so relieve the hanger member 14 from the tension of the spring 25 and to leave the coupled heads in practically a floating condition with respect to the draw bars, any suitable means may be resorted to. As shown the spider 28 is provided with an extension 28 through which the free end of the trigger 16 extends. Said end of the trigger is deflected, forming a cam 16 adapted to be engaged by the shoulder 28 on the spider when the head is engaged by a companion head and the conduit 20 and spider are forced rearwardly. The parts are so proportioned and related as to provide that in order for the cars to be coupled at the draw bars the spider must/be forced rearwardly sufiiciently far to lift the trigger into the position shown in Fig. 7, at which time the spring 25 will be at its maximum compression and the dogs 29 will project through the holes 13 an abnormal distance momentarily. After the support 15 is freed the force of the spring 25 will give it and the shiftable abutment 27 an impulse rearwardly toward the position indicated in Fig. 8, the rearward movement of the abutment 27 being limited by the dogs 29 which will then In this position the support 15 and collar 24 will play loosely inthe rear of the abutment 27 and will hold the trigger 16 out of engagement with the shoulder 19. The aforesaid floating movement of the coupled heads will always exceed the lost motion at the draw bars 10.

When the cars are being uncoupled, ea h meagre,

head 12- will be held momentarily by the dogs of the opposing head while the draw bar 10 and attached member 14 are moving rearwardly with respect to the support 15. The collar 24 has extensions 24 through which the rear ends of the dogs extend. Said rear ends are deflected forming cams 29 which, cooperating with the shoulders 24, limit the space between the abutment 27 and said collar and hence prevent the support 15 from following the member 14 rearwardly until the shoulder 14 will have been engaged by the support, at which time the trigger 16 will drop into locking position. Continued draft upon the dogs will cause'the shoulders 24, through the cams 29 to rotate the dogs against the tension of the springs 31 and out of engagement with the shoulders 13 of the guides, thus uncoupling the heads.

In the modification shown in Figs. 9 and 10 provision is made to relieve the dogs "29 from the pressure of the spring 25 so that the several sets of dogs may be released from the respective opposite guides 13. To accomplish this I mount upon the conduit 20 a quill or sleeve 33, the same being internally threaded to said conduit and provided exteriorly with a series of grooves 33' whereby the sleeve may be rotated by means of a spanner S and thereby caused to push the abutment 27, carrying the dogs 29, toward the opposite head. The head and conduit being stationary, such movement of the abutment will relieve the pressure between the dogs and the guides interlocking therewith so that upon movement of the support 15 in the opposite direction by any suitable means, as by hand, the dogs will be thrown to the osition indicated in Fig. 10 by-operation o the collar 24' upon the rear ends of the dogs in the manner above indicated. The operation of the spider 28 and also that of the other associated parts are the same in this form of the invention as was previously described. The stationary member 14' of the bracket is provided with a pin 34, which in its normal position shown in Fig. 9 will prevent any excess outward movement of the abutment 27, but which may be lifted as in Fig. 10 to permit the aforesaid removal of the mechanism. In practice, should it be desired to remove either head for any purpose and replace it without disturbing the coupling of the cars at the draw bars, the trainmaii will first manipulate the dogs on the opposite head and then carry forward the operation just described with respect to the head to be removed.

Having thus described a preferred embodiment of the invention but intending not to be limited to the specific mechanism illustrated, what I claim is:

. ,1. In an automatic train pipe coupler,

.head, a bracket, a spring for placing the head under pressure, and abutment mechanism therefor. operating to free the bracket from the pressure of the spring during compression of the latter upon coupling engagement of the heads.

3. ,In an automatic train pine coupler, the combination of a coupling head adapted to make connection with a counterpart head, a hanger comprising relatively stationary and movable members, a spring operating between the head and the movable hanger member, and means whereby said movable member is held stationary during the first portion of the coupling operation, and subsequently' released to relieve the hanger from all pressure of the spring during all conditions of service.

4. In an automatic train pipe coupler, the combination of a hanger comprising relatively stationary and movable members, mechanism adapted to lock said members together, a head, means associated with the head and operating to release said mecha nism when the heads are being coupled, and means to restore the movable member to its normal stationary position. i

5. In an automatic train pipe coupler, a head for connection with a counterpart head, a spring for extending the head, an abutment mechanism for said spring, and means for, removing a coupled head without first uncoupling the cars, comprising means for shifting said abutment mecha-- nism longitudinally of the car.

6. In an automatic train pipe coupler, a head for connection with a counterpart head, means for placing the head under pressure, anabutment mechanism for said pressure means, and means for removing a coupled head without first uncoupling the 4 cars, comprising means for shifting said abutment mechanism longitudinally of the car.

7. In an. automatic train pipe coupler, a head for connection with a counterpart head, and means for placing the head under pressure, an abutment for said means, and mechanism for moving the abutment toward the head and longitudinally of the car to ermit the ready removal of a coupled head rom the car.

8. In an automatic train pipe coupler,

a head for connection with a counterpart head, means for placing the head under pressure, an appliance forlocking said head to the counterpart head, and means for removing a coupled head without first uncoupling the cars, including mechanism for putting said pressure means under greater tension and automatically disengaging said Lodging appliance from the counterpart ea a 9. In an automatic train pipe coupler, a head, means for locking said head to a counterpart head, a shiftable support for said head, and means for locking said support against shifting in the uncoupled position of said head.

10. In an automatic train pipe coupler, a head, means for locking said head to a counterpart head, a shiftable support for said head, means for locking said support a ainst shifting in the uncoupled position 0 said head, and means forv automatically releasing said shiftable support upon shifting of said head to coupled position.

11 In an automatic train pipe coupler, a head, means for locking said head to a counterpart head, a shiftable support for said head, and a latch device for lockingly engaging said shiftable support in the uncoupled position of sald head.

12. In an automatic tram pipe coupler, I

a head, means for locking said head to a. counterpart head, a shiftable support for said head, a latch device for lockingly engaging said shiftable support in t e uncoupled position of said head, and means for automatically releasing said latch device upon shifting of said head to coupled positlon.

subscribing witnesses.

' JOS. V. ROBINSON.

Witnssesz- Gno. L. Baum,

H. 0. Bone. 

